251. "And he called his son Joseph" (Beresheet 47:29). Rabbi Yitzchak said, Are the other tribes not his sons? WHY DID HE CALL JOSEPH ALONE? HE REPLIES, Rabbi Aba said that Joseph was his son more than the others. We have learned that when Potifar's wife begged Joseph, it is written, "Joseph went into the house to do his work; and there was none (lit. 'no man') of the men of the house there within" (Beresheet 39:11). This verse should have said 'there was no man in the house,' but why add "of the men of the house?" HE ANSWERS, This indicates the image of Jacob which was there. It says "the men of the house" to show us there was another man, NOT OF THE MEN OF THE HOUSE, NAMELY JACOB. Once Joseph lifted up his eyes and saw the image of his father, his mind was settled and he withdrew.
252. Come and see the verse, "But he refused, and said to his master's wife..." (Beresheet 39:8). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Upon your life, another will say "I refuse" when he will come to bless your sons, who will be blessed by him.' This is why it says, "And his father refused, and said, 'I know it, my son, I know it'" (Beresheet 48:19).
253. HE ASKS, Since he said, "I know it, my son," why did he say again, "I know it?" HE ANSWERS, He said, "I know it, my son" meaning 'you showed through your body that you are my son, when you saw my image and returned to your Covenant AND DID NOT DESECRATE IT.' This is why it is written, "I know it, my son." THE SECOND TIME IT IS WRITTEN "I know it" is what you said about this one being the firstborn, TO WHICH HE ANSWERED BY "He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great" (Beresheet 48:19). This is why it says here, "And he called his son Joseph" (Beresheet 47:29), his very son Joseph SINCE HE PROVED IT BY HIS BODY, AS EXPLAINED.
254. Another explanation for: "And he called his son Joseph." They looked the same, and whoever saw Joseph said he was Jacob's son. Rabbi Yosi said, This is exactly so, THAT HE CALLED HIM HIS SON SINCE THEY LOOKED THE SAME. Moreover, Joseph gave food for him and his sons in his old age, for which reason he was his own son more than everyone else. "And he called his son Joseph ..." HE ASKS, Why did he call Joseph and not another one? HE ANSWERS, Because he could take him from there TO THE CAVE OF THE MACHPELAH SINCE HE WAS A KING, BUT NO ONE ELSE HAD THE AUTHORITY.
255. Rabbi Yosi said, Since Jacob knew his descendants would become slaves in Egypt, why was he not buried there, so that his merit would protect his children? Why did he wish to go up from there? When it says, "As a father pities his children" (Tehilim 103:13), where is pity then?
256. HE REPLIES, We have so learned that when Jacob went down to Egypt, he was afraid. He said, Might it come to that, heaven forbid, that my children will perish among the nations, or that the Holy One, blessed be He, will remove the Shechinah from me as before? It is written, "And Elohim appeared to Jacob" (Beresheet 35:9). "Fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation" (Beresheet 46:3). As for what you said, that I might remove My Shechinah from you, "I will go down with you into Egypt" (Ibid. 4).
257. He also said, I am afraid lest I shall be buried there and will not merit to be buried with my fathers. He answered him, "And I will also surely bring you up again" (Ibid.), to be buried in the grave of your fathers.
258. This is why he wanted to be taken up from Egypt. Another reason is not to be made godlike, for he saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, would take vengeance upon the deities of Egypt. He also saw that the Shechinah would dwell among his children in exile, AND THAT HE NEED NOT BE BURIED IN EGYPT TO PROTECT THEM. Another reason is that he wanted his body to dwell among the bodies of his fathers, to be with them and not with the wicked in Egypt.
259. We learned that the body of Jacob had its beauty from Adam, and the image of Jacob was of the supernal holy form, the form of the Holy Throne. Thus he did not want to be buried among the wicked. The secret of this matter is that there is no separating the patriarchs, AND THEY ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER. It is therefore written, "I will lie with my fathers" (Beresheet 47:30).
260. "And he called his son Joseph." SCRIPTURE SAYS his son BECAUSE they had the same countenance, and also because he begot him more willingly than any other TRIBE. Come and see, it is written, "Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband?" (Beresheet 30:15), for Jacob's whole desire was for Rachel. Hence it says, "And he called his son Joseph."